Combined match box and belt buckle



March 30 1926.

J. RANKIN COMBINED lMATCH BOX AND BELT BUCKLE Filed June l0. 1925 ATTORNEYV Patented Mar. 30, 1926.

JULIAN RANKIN, OF'LOUIS, KENTUCKY.

COMBINED MATCH BOXAN'DI BELT BUCKLE.

Application led J'une 10, 1925. Serial No. 36,161.

i To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JULIAN RANKIN, a citizen of- Germany,'an d a resident of Louisa, in the county of Lawrence and State of Kentucky, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Combined Match Boxes and Belt Buckles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is a combined-match box and belt' buckle, and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements herein described and claimed.

Angobject` of the invention is the pro-V vision of a single unitary device which affords facilities for detachably connecting the ends of a belt and also includes a case adapted to receive and support a quantity' of matches so that individual matches may be removed when desired and normally will be completely housed and p rotected by the case.

A further` object of the invention is the provision of a device of theV character described which will occupy but very little more space, if any, than an or'dinary belt buckle.

A. still further object of the invention is the provision of a combinedv match box and belt buckle which is reliable in use, ornamental in appearance and thoroughly practical commercially.v

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 isA a perspective view showing the improved combined match box and belt buckle applied to a belt, looking at the device from the front.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, looking at the device from the rear,

Figure 13 is a perspective view showing the device in position to connect the ends of a belt and showing the match box portion of the device open,

Figure 4 is ,an end view of a modified form of the device.

The match box portion ofthe device has a body comprising a front 1, a' pair of sides 2 and a pair of ends 3 all joined to one another integrally or'in any other suitable known manner and made of any suitable material, such as a light gauge metal. The front 1 of the body of the case or match box portion of the device may be' convexly curved longitudinally thereof.

-end against the secondary One side- Wall 2 of the body of the case 1s provided with aligned spaced sleeve portions 4 between which aligned spaced sleeves 5 at one side edge of the lid or cover 6 of the match box portion of the device-may be disposed. A secondary lid or cover plate.

7 is adapted to tit iiatwise within the rim portion of the body of the match box and is provided with aligned sleeves 8 at one side edge thereof,'the sleeves 8 being adapted to be disposed between the sleeves 5 in alignment with the latter. A pintle 9 extends through -the laligned sleeves 4, 5 and whereby the primary lid or cover 6 will be hinged to the body of thefmatchbox or case and the secondary lid or cover 7 likewise will be hinged to the body of the case. A spring 10 encircles the pintle 9 between the sleeves 8 and reacts at one end against the primary lid 6 and at its other lid `7, thus tending to swing the primary lid to open position with respect to the body of the case and to resist swinging movement of the Secondary lid from position within the. rim portion -oi? the body of the case.

The primary lid 6 is formed with a depending lange 11 at the free longitudinal edge thereof which'v is adapted to slide against-the corresponding side 2 ofthe body of the case to position Ito overlap said side wall of the body of the case when the case is closed.v The flange 11 is stayed to the primary lid 6 by triangular-...webs 12 which contact with the end walls of the body of the case when the case is closed. The middle portion of the flange 11 is enlarged in width as indicated at 13 and is formed with van opening 14 which is adapted to beengaged by a spring pressed latching pin 15 when the case' is closed. The latching pin 15 extends slidably throu'gh an opening in the side wall 2 of the body of the case which is overlapped by the flange 11. A spring finger 17 is disposed within the body ofthe case and is secured at one end to said side member of the body of the case, as at 18, the latching pin 15 being attached tol case andvis adapted tovbe pressed inward by the finger of an o erat'or of the device to cause the latching pm. 15 to disengage the opening 14 in the fiange of the primary lid of the match box or case.

The secondary lid 7 is formed with pairs .of upstruck lugs 2O which can be bent to and from position to retain a strip 21, against the normally upper face o f the secondary lid 7. AThe upper face of the strip 21 constitutes a friction surface for causing the ignition of a match. A lug extension 22 atone end of. the 'secondary lid 27 is'adapted to engage with a notch 23 in the edge of the corresponding end 3 of the body v of the case when the secondary lid is closed to limit the 'swinging movement of the secondary lid into the body of the case and also to provide a means which can be conveniently manipulated by the finger of anl operator of the device to swing the second' ary lid to open position.. v

A pair of ears 24 are struck from the middle portion of the primary lid 6 rearwardly thereof, the ears 24 being spaced transverselyv of the primary lid and being provided with aligned openings.

consists of a jaw or clamping portion 25 and an operating or handle portion 2 6. The portion 26 4 extends substantially at right angles to the portion 25 of the fastening member and saidl fastening member has outwardly extending aligned journal projections or trunnions 27 which are journaled in the openings in the ears 24. The portion 25 of the fastening member 25--26 has teeth as indicated at 28 in the free end thereof and the operating portion 26 can -be manipulated to -swing the portion V25 about the axis of thetrunnions 27 to and-from position to extend at right'angles to the primary lid 6, the toothed free end of the portion 25 of the fastening member being proximateA to the primary lid 6 and being adapted to clamp a'n end portion 29 of a belt against the primary lid 6. A right angular fastening member vfor clamping the oppositev end, indicated at 30, of the-belt against the operatin'g or handle portion 26 of the fastening member 25-26 comprises a toothed jaw member 31 and a handle portion 32. Themember 31-32 has oppositely extending aligned trunnions, as at 33, at the juncture of the portions 31 'and 32 thereof and these trunnions are journaled in openingsin rearwardly turned marginal edge portions or anges 34 on the handle portion 26 of the. first named fastenin'g member.

The lid 6 has openings, vas at 35 which are defined Awhen the ears 24 are struck outwardly therefrom. The openings are in line with the toothed jaw of the fastening member 25--26 and tend to receive vportions of the belt that A substantially,v right angular fastening plate which is com-y prised in the buckle portion of the device.

is clamped between the jaw 25 and the primary lid 6, whereby the end portion 29 f ily understood from the foregoing description. "The fastening member 31-32 is manipulated to secure one end portion ofthe belt'to the handle Aportion26 of the fastenin'g member 26--25.A The free end portion of the belt then is inserted between the jaw I 25 and the primary lid 6 of the match box or case portion of the device and the handle 26 andthe match box are swung' relatively to each other to cause the jaw 25 to clamp the free end portion of the belt against the primary lid 6 of the match box or case portion of thedevice, whereby vthe match box will be supported at the front of the belt. When desired, the body of the case of the device canbe swung downwardly from the position shown in Figure 1 to the position shown in Figure 3, the secondary lid 7 then can be raised and matches can be taken from the body of the case.

In the modied form of the device shown in Figure 4, the primary lid 6 of the 'match box or' case portion of the device carries a loop 36. A belt, notshown, may beextended between the loop 36 and the primary lid 6 and the device thus supported on the belt.

I claim 1. A device of the character described comprising a hollow bodyA adapted to receive'matches, a lid hinged to said body,i

means carried by' said lid. for supporting said lid and body on a belt, a secondary lid hinged to said body and adapted to befre- .-ceived within the rim portion of said body to prevent spilling of the contents of saidL body when said first lnamed lid is open, said los secondary lid having pairs of lugs' struck,

upwardly therefrom, and a strip of material held against said secondary lid by said lugs,

lfastening elements on said lid and body respectively `for engaging each other to hold the lid closed, a secondary lid hinged to the edge of the lower side wall of the body and adapted to swing to position in the rim portion of s aid body, said secondary lid having an extended lug at one end thereof adapted .to extend through a notch in an end wall of the body when the secondary lid is closed, and means on said ,first named lid for engaging with a belt.

3. In a deviceof the a case' consisting of a hollow body, a lid hinged to the body, an'V angular fastening vcharacterv described, l

portion and a handle portion and being ople'rable to clampwthe end portion of a belt "between said jaw portions and said lid, and

a second fastening member comprising an- .gnlarly related jaw and handle portions,

said second fastening member being pivotal- A ly supported on. the handle of the, ifn'st named fastening member and being operable: to clamp the second'end of the belt between the jaw portion of the secondnamed,fas-

tening member and the handle of the vfirst named fastening member.

' 4. In a device of the Acharacter described,y a

case consisting of a`l1ollow. body,v a" lid hinged to the body, an .angular fasteninv member pivotally'supported on said lidsai fastening member comprising a jaw portion and' a handle portion and being operable clamp the end portion of a belt between said jaw ortions and said lid, a second fastening mem er comprising angularly related -jaw and handle portions, 'said second fastening Amember beingpivotally supported on the handle ofl thej'first named fastening member and. being operable to clamp the second end of the belt between the jaw portion of the secondv named'fastening 'member' and `the -handle ofthe first named fastening member,

s'aidjaw portions of the fastening members being serrated at their Contact edges, said lid having openings direct-ly 'in front .of the jaw portion of said first fnamed fastening -member a'ndadapted to partiallyreceive the t which' is clamped against portion-of the be lsaid lidbysaid first 'named 4fastening member.

JULIAN BANKIN. 

